Marietta College volleyball opens season with a pair of wins at River City Tournament
Pioneers defeat Oberlin 3-0 and Thiel 3-1 to win Pool A

Aug. 29, 2008
MARIETTA, Ohio — The Marietta College volleyball team began the season with a pair of wins Friday (Aug. 29) at its 2008 River City Tournament. The Pioneers opened the day with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-21) victory over Oberlin College and then capped the night with a 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 25-14) win over Thiel College from Greenville, Pa.

Marietta freshman Alex Weissling (Dublin/Dublin Scioto) paced the offensive attack in both matches. The outside hitter finished with 17 kills against Oberlin and then collected 22 more versus Thiel. She also added five service aces against the Tomcats.

The Pioneers also got 11 kills from freshman outside hitter Jaimie Hartline (North Canton/Glen Oak) and nine kills from freshman right side hitter Meredith Storey (Olmsted Falls) in the win over Thiel.

Senior setter Caity Shirk (Middleburg Heights/Midpark) ran the offense throughout the evening. She dished out 31 assists against Oberlin and then handed out 45 assists against Thiel. Shirk also finished with five service aces in the win over the Yeowomen.

Junior libero Becca Holzworth (North Olmsted) had six service aces to go along with a game-high 10 digs against Oberlin. She then collected a career-high 32 digs against Thiel. The four-game total ranked fourth all-time among Marietta defenders. Senior defensive specialist Brittany Papili (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) also added a career-best 12 digs in the win over the Tomcats.

Marietta, who won Pool A with a 2-0 record, is back in action on Saturday (Aug. 30) morning when it takes on Grove City (Pa.) College at 10 a.m. Wooster, the top-seed in Pool B, and Thiel also play at 10 a.m. Oberlin and Bluffton await the losers of those two matches, respectively, at 12 p.m. The 10 a.m. winners will go head-to-head for the tournament title at 2 p.m., while Oberlin and Bluffton will also play at 2 p.m. Fans can track the Pioneers' progress via live stats.

Friday’s results:
Marietta def. Oberlin, 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-21) [Box Score]
Grove City (Pa.) def. Wooster, 3-1 (25-14, 25-17, 18-25, 28-26)
Thiel (Pa.) def. Oberlin, 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-23) [Box Score]
Bluffton def. Grove City (Pa.), 3-2 (25-14, 17-25, 14-25, 25-22, 15-11)
Marietta def. Thiel (Pa.), 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 25-14) [Box Score]
Wooster def. Bluffton, 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-21)